From the Bookshelf of Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)…

Jane Eyre

Charlotte Brontë

Start date: August 1, 2024

Finish date: August 31, 2024

Why we're reading this: Old School Classics Group Read August 2024

Revisit the Shelf Group Read April 2021

Revisit the Shelf Group …more
[close] Old School Classics Group Read August 2024

Revisit the Shelf Group Read April 2021

Revisit the Shelf Group Read, July 2016
Previous Group Reads:
-Revisit the Shelf Group Read, June 2013
- Old School Classic, February 2012

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What Members Thought

Mar 30, 2019 Ketutar Jensen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-women

I am surprised by the feminism in this story. I was expecting a gentle, submissive Victorian flower and get an independent, intelligent woman that wouldn't have difficulties living in today's world.
I also like Charlotte's writing. Easy read.

added 2.9.2020
I just read The Scarlet Letter and found that too to be feminist. I went to see the reception of these two books, and read this: "In 1848, Elizabeth Rigby, reviewing Jane Eyre in The Quarterly Review, found it "pre-eminently an anti-Christian c I am surprised by the feminism in this story. I was expecting a gentle, submissive Victorian flower and get an independent, intelligent woman that wouldn't have difficulties living in today's world.
I also like Charlotte's writing. Easy read.

added 2.9.2020
I just read The Scarlet Letter and found that too to be feminist. I went to see the reception of these two books, and read this: "In 1848, Elizabeth Rigby, reviewing Jane Eyre in The Quarterly Review, found it "pre-eminently an anti-Christian composition," declaring: "We do not hesitate to say that the tone of mind and thought which has overthrown authority and violated every code human and divine abroad, and fostered Chartism and rebellion at home, is the same which has also written Jane Eyre." That alone would be reason enough to read this book :-D

I would like to say to Elizabeth Rigby, that one should not obey authorities who are unfair, unwilling to listen, and unjust. One should rebel against such authorities, whether they are parents, employers, friends or God. And every person should support Chartism, because people are created equal and should be treated as equal, and not promoted because they happen to be rich, and hindered because they happen to be poor. Codes Jane Eyre violates need to be violated, broken and discarded, because they are bad, offensive to good sense and truly Christian heart, and destructive, created to raise sheep, slaves, and cannon fodder, degrading human value and deeply chauvinist.

And it is not an "illegitimate romance", because Jane left immediately when she found out that Edward was married, and didn't return until he was a widower.

Added 3/4-23
Now I have read Wide Sargasso Sea. I hate him.
Also, Adèle could be Rochester's daughter. He was having sex with her mother, she says he is, and he took her in. She is about 10 years old. It doesn't much matter if she was or not, she could have been. "Bertha" was locked in the attic while Rochester was having an affair with this French dancer. Just consider The Yellow Wallpaper. Wouldn't you go mad?
Too bad she didn't get him.
I kind of want to read a book about Adèle, where she gets even with her "dad". ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 27, 2015 Heather L rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, read-in-high-school, read-in-college, 1980s, 1990s, group-read, book-to-movie, 2015

I was inspired to pick this up for a third reading after finishing The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. It had been a long time since the first and second readings, and I am happy to report my opinion of it did not change. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

May 22, 2016 Nats rated it it was amazing

❤️❤️❤️❤️ love this book

1 like · Like · see review

Mar 10, 2014 Sandy rated it really liked it

Actually, 4.5 stars. Not sure why I waited so long to read this book. Really enjoyed it. It is nice to have a protagnist that is not described as beautiful for a change.

Like · see review